TumblingTurquoise's recent activity
-
Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
-
Comment on The Odyssey - discussion thread in ~movies
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentInteresting, thanks for clarifying. Of course I wasn’t referring to the actual historical reasons for the Bronze Age collapse, but to the society as depicted in Nolan’s movie.Interesting, thanks for clarifying.
Also, Mycenae did not fall to the "destruction of social fabric", from archeological evidence it's believed that a long drought combined with an earthquake was the cause.
Of course I wasn’t referring to the actual historical reasons for the Bronze Age collapse, but to the society as depicted in Nolan’s movie.
-
Comment on The Odyssey - discussion thread in ~movies
TumblingTurquoise LinkI loved seeing The Odyssey. A bit of context for my comment: I’m not a big Greek mythology buff. This means that I knew about all of the ideas, characters & events presented in the movie, but not...I loved seeing The Odyssey. A bit of context for my comment: I’m not a big Greek mythology buff. This means that I knew about all of the ideas, characters & events presented in the movie, but not from primary sources. And I never spent time thinking & analysing them.
That being said, there is a great idea that I’m not sure if Nolan recontextualised or it was present in the source material: how big of an offence & destruction of customs and norms the Trojan horse was. This resonates very hard with the destruction of customs & norms we observe in Western society nowadays.
In the context of the world Nolan depicted, where Gods are the ultimate thing to worship & respect, abusing these norms for material gains is possibly the highest offence someone can bring to society at large, and obviously factors into the destruction of the social fabric & eventually downfall of their civilisation.
Since we find out Odysseus’ perspective about this at the very end of the movie, it does help explain the instances of mild “atheism” that he displays during the obstacles he & his men face post-Troy.
-
Comment on Avatar: Seven Havens | Official teaser in ~tv
TumblingTurquoise (edited )Link ParentI was a bit disappointed back then, and really hoped that the rumours were wrong. I really enjoyed the world building they did in Korra, and thought there’s great potential in carrying the story...I was a bit disappointed back then, and really hoped that the rumours were wrong. I really enjoyed the world building they did in Korra, and thought there’s great potential in carrying the story into a more “modern” time, past the Industrial Revolution and into the information age. Just erasing the entire world and resetting it to a more primitive state, for lack of a better word, feels really lazy. I hope I’m wrong about this, but I’m not entirely confident they’ll do something interesting with the universe in this new series. They already seem to be retreading some of the ground Korra already did, in the episodes detailing the Avatar’s origins.
-
Comment on China's oil imports have decreased by 40% since the Iran war in ~society
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentHere’s a video that went into this topic recently. In short, China may have amassed very large quantities of oil in their stockpiles.Here’s a video that went into this topic recently. In short, China may have amassed very large quantities of oil in their stockpiles.
-
Comment on Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets to build AI hardware in ~tech
TumblingTurquoise (edited )Link ParentThey’re not doing great. Their financials leaked a couple of weeks ago, and several things stood out: the rate at which they’re burning money, the lagging revenue, and the accounting trickery they...They’re not doing great. Their financials leaked a couple of weeks ago, and several things stood out: the rate at which they’re burning money, the lagging revenue, and the accounting trickery they use. The big one: lumping the subsidies and deals they give to consumers into the advertising spending category, since it’s a better looking cost for investors. They’re lumping so much spend in there, that they’re supposedly spending more on advertising than Coca Cola.
Another thing that happened just the past days & is a sign of them not doing great, is Oracle’s credit rating being downgraded to a step above Junk. I am not sure if you know how critical Oracle & OpenAIs relationship is, to both of these companies’ success.
Edit: and I forgot to add that after their financials leaked, it’s rumoured that OpenAI pushed their IPO into the next year. Which is IMO, not a sign of confidence in their business & ability to raise money, once their financials can officially get scrutinised by everyone.
-
Comment on Microsoft’s Xbox to cut 3,200 jobs, divest five studios in major overhaul (gifted link) in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentAt the end of the day, it all depends on the company’s culture. I am also a part of a hierarchy of 8 layers at my work; however, when it comes to my direct responsibilities, my word is usually...At the end of the day, it all depends on the company’s culture. I am also a part of a hierarchy of 8 layers at my work; however, when it comes to my direct responsibilities, my word is usually final.
There’s a very limited set of circumstances when I need to seek my manager’s approval, even more higher up the chain.
Funnily enough, the only time I had to go up multiple layers for an approval was when I wanted an extra computer monitor at my desk.
-
Comment on Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentI don’t have much to add, except that I cancelled my PS Plus subscription in response to this. I hope enough people that are bothered by this also did the same.I don’t have much to add, except that I cancelled my PS Plus subscription in response to this. I hope enough people that are bothered by this also did the same.
-
Comment on What are the new EU border checks and how will they affect your summer holiday? in ~travel
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentAirport security is security theatre, and a source of income for some businesses. Nothing more, nothing less. Have a look at this list & see that it doesn’t really do anything. But when it comes...Airport security is security theatre, and a source of income for some businesses. Nothing more, nothing less. Have a look at this list & see that it doesn’t really do anything.
But when it comes to this entry & exit system, it has less to do with hijackings & more with tracking immigrants who may not leave the EU once entered.
-
Comment on Google must pay record €4.1 billion fine, top EU court rules in ~tech
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentFines are one component of the EU’s revenue. It is spent on agriculture & development for EU member states; which means funding, grants and subsidies for infrastructure, energy, culture, etc.;...Fines are one component of the EU’s revenue. It is spent on agriculture & development for EU member states; which means funding, grants and subsidies for infrastructure, energy, culture, etc.; there’s a really wide range of projects funded by EU grants.
According to the Wiki page, 94% is invested into EU member states. Which is a fact I was not aware of before!
-
Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: June 2026 in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentTorchlight 2 is another good one, but I haven’t played it as much as Titan Quest & Grim Dawn, so I’m not sure if it’s as deep as the latter two. Surprisingly, I have also enjoyed Diablo IV, even...Torchlight 2 is another good one, but I haven’t played it as much as Titan Quest & Grim Dawn, so I’m not sure if it’s as deep as the latter two.
Surprisingly, I have also enjoyed Diablo IV, even though the late game is really oriented towards grinding for materials, and less towards grinding for items. I’m not a big fan of this approach, so I usually don’t stick to the game for long. I drop in once in a while, level a class to the max, then drop off until some interesting new content is added. But you can’t go wrong with Diablo II, which has recently been remade.
A less known one is The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, but I can only vouch for the first one. It’s worth a playthrough, if you buy it on a discount.
Hellgate: London is another one I thoroughly enjoyed back in its time, though it is a bit rough around the edges.
While not an isometric ARPG, I think that the Borderlands series qualifies for the genre. It’s more loot based than other games (in a good way - there’s some wacky weapons to be found in these games). Out of them all, I probably enjoyed 1 & 2 the most. But 1 is a bit dated by this point, so you should probably stick with 2.
V Rising also scratches the isometric spell-based combat itch, but not so much the grinding for loot one. I can describe it as Valheim with a Diablo-lite coat of paint. It is a game you play through once then you’re done with it - no endgame grinding or activities. It also has enjoyable building mechanics.
And I think that’s about it when it comes to ARPG recommendations I can make. There’s some good free-to-play ARPGs that I could mention, but I don’t like this monetisation model so I can’t recommend them. I prefer paying for my game & having all gameplay mechanics unlocked.
-
Comment on Tildes Game Giveaway: June 2026 in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentI want to mention that the game is made by the same people who made Titan Quest - one of my all time favourite ARPGs. They preserved all of the main mechanics from Titan Quest (skill system,...I want to mention that the game is made by the same people who made Titan Quest - one of my all time favourite ARPGs. They preserved all of the main mechanics from Titan Quest (skill system, inventory, levelling up, dual mastery builds, many hidden areas in levels), and added in a whole lot of new ones & content.
Whoever enjoyed Titan Quest will definitely get a kick out of Grim Dawn!
-
Comment on Do you cook with cast iron? Is it the hassle everyone says it is? in ~food
TumblingTurquoise LinkI seasoned mine in the beginning, but after scrubbing it with soap the seasoning got ruined. So now I just sometimes coat it with some oil, and otherwise I keep cooking fatty foods in it. To...I seasoned mine in the beginning, but after scrubbing it with soap the seasoning got ruined. So now I just sometimes coat it with some oil, and otherwise I keep cooking fatty foods in it. To clean, I scrub it with metal (spatula or sponge), no soap. If it gets particularly bad, then I will boil some water in it & scrape with a spatula at the same time. The most important thing is to never let it stay wet - I always heat the pan until all water has evaporated.
Besides that, it gets better with time & cooking. The thing I appreciate the most about isn’t necessarily the nonstick coating (though that’s definitely nice) but the amount of heat it can “store”, and how evenly it is released into the food.
Tl;dr don’t overthink it.
-
Comment on Control Resonant | Story/release date reveal trailer – 24th September 2026 in ~games
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentHave you played Alan Wake 2? If you didn’t, consider doing so. In case you didn’t know this, Alan Wake’s & Control’s stories are connected.I haven't found anything else quite like it.
Have you played Alan Wake 2? If you didn’t, consider doing so. In case you didn’t know this, Alan Wake’s & Control’s stories are connected.
-
Comment on Who’s buying SpaceX and Anthropic? in ~finance
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentEmphasis mine. It didn’t sound like a red line to me back then, and it doesn’t sound like one today either. Just that they don’t consider the technology ready for this, not that it should never be...Now, even those, I think that, you know, they, you know, our adversaries may at some point have them so perhaps, you know, they may-- they may at some point be needed for the defense of democracy. But we have some concerns about them. First, the AI systems of today are nowhere near reliable enough to make fully autonomous weapons.
Emphasis mine. It didn’t sound like a red line to me back then, and it doesn’t sound like one today either. Just that they don’t consider the technology ready for this, not that it should never be used for these purposes.
-
Comment on Who’s buying SpaceX and Anthropic? in ~finance
TumblingTurquoise (edited )Link ParentThe line Anthropic drew was about military (edit: fully autonomous weapons) & intelligence applications against US citizens. They have no qualms for using this tech against the rest of us fools.The line Anthropic drew was about military (edit: fully autonomous weapons) & intelligence applications against US citizens. They have no qualms for using this tech against the rest of us fools.
-
Comment on How has inflation changed your quality of life? in ~finance
TumblingTurquoise LinkNot much in a direct way, except for the higher grocery prices. But the overall uncertainty motivated me to save even more money than before. If I was previously saving only 20% of my income, for...Not much in a direct way, except for the higher grocery prices. But the overall uncertainty motivated me to save even more money than before. If I was previously saving only 20% of my income, for the past 2-3 months I have been saving 50%, or even more. I don’t eat out, buy things, my hobbies mostly involve the computer, and luckily I am healthy.
Overall I can’t say that my quality of life has been seriously impacted, but that’s mostly because I try to be satisfied with little. I know that my partner was a bit frustrated with adjusting to a more frugal lifestyle, and would have had a different opinion than I some years ago.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech
TumblingTurquoise LinkUsing it for about 2 years now. I love the ability to block/pin websites (and levels inbetween). I don’t think I can ever go back. The only downside is that I still have to tell people “I googled...Using it for about 2 years now. I love the ability to block/pin websites (and levels inbetween). I don’t think I can ever go back. The only downside is that I still have to tell people “I googled this and that” in order for them to understand what I’m saying.
-
Comment on I think Anthropic and OpenAI have found product-market fit in ~tech
TumblingTurquoise Link ParentIf businesses don’t need labor & end up selling only to each other, then what are you & I going to eat? Are we both going to become teachers or healthcare professionals? What happens if I don’t...If businesses don’t need labor & end up selling only to each other, then what are you & I going to eat? Are we both going to become teachers or healthcare professionals? What happens if I don’t have any desire or inclination towards either of those professions?
-
Comment on What are your personal crackpot conspiracy theories about the world right now? in ~talk
TumblingTurquoise LinkThe Blue Origin explosion is an awfully convenient opportunity for SpaceX. SpaceX’s biggest competitor just got put out of action for at least 15 months, while there is high demand for shipping...The Blue Origin explosion is an awfully convenient opportunity for SpaceX.
SpaceX’s biggest competitor just got put out of action for at least 15 months, while there is high demand for shipping cargo to space (several NASA missions were pending the Blue Origin test), and just before the world’s biggest IPO…
To be fair, there isn’t much driving in the game. I think there are four setpieces in total which involve driving something with wheels, and only two of them need you to drive decently.